U.S. patent number 4,723,200 [Application Number 06/924,943] was granted by the patent office on 1988-02-02 for electric light holder.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Larslight Corporation. Invention is credited to Lars Troen.
United States Patent |
4,723,200 |
Troen |
February 2, 1988 |
Electric light holder
Abstract
An electric light holder having a base and a socket to receive a
bulb. The socket is removably held to the base by a pair of
outwardly extending opposed plastic wings at the front of the base
which snap into grooves at the sides of the socket. The wings also
serve as stops for the rear of a reflector which is slid over the
socket and held in place against the wings by a retainer ring
threaded over the socket. Alternatively the reflector can be
suspended from the wings.
Inventors: |
Troen; Lars (Etobicoke,
CA) |
Assignee: |
Larslight Corporation (Toronto,
CA)
|
Family
ID: |
25450952 |
Appl.
No.: |
06/924,943 |
Filed: |
October 30, 1986 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
362/260; 315/58;
439/236; 315/57; 315/71; 439/232; 439/350; 362/296.02 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F21V
19/0095 (20130101); F21S 8/00 (20130101); F21V
23/02 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
F21V
23/02 (20060101); F21V 19/00 (20060101); F21V
29/00 (20060101); F21K 029/00 (); H01J
007/44 () |
Field of
Search: |
;362/296,260,263,376,377,378 ;339/144R,144T,146,54,55,76,145T
;313/318 ;315/56,57,58,70,71 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Jones; Larry
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Rogers, Bereskin & Parr
Claims
I claim:
1. An electric light holder comprising:
(a) a base having a forward end,
(b) a pair of wings projecting laterally outwardly in substantially
opposed directions from said forward end,
(c) a socket having a forward end for receiving an electric bulb
and having a rear end,
(d) said socket having an outer surface and a pair of grooves in
said outer surface, said grooves being spaced apart from each other
around said outer surface and each having a predetermined
width,
(e) detent means in each groove,
(f) said wings each being of thickness less than the width of said
grooves, said wings having inner ends defining therebetween a space
for the rear end of said socket to be placed between said inner
ends with said inner ends located one in each groove,
(g) said inner ends of said wings each including retaining means
cooperating with said detent means of said grooves to releasibly
secure said socket to said base, said wings being of a flexible
material so that they can be flexed to release said retaining means
of said wings from said detent means of said grooves,
(h) said outer surface of said socket having ring retaining means
thereon,
(i) and a retainer ring adapted to be mounted on said ring
retaining means to secure a reflector over said socket between said
retainer ring and said wings.
2. An electric light holder according to claim 1 wherein said wings
and said grooves are each two in number, said wings being spaced
180 degrees apart around said base and said grooves being spaced
180 degrees apart around said socket.
3. An electric light holder according to claim 2 wherein said
grooves extend substantially to said rear end of said socket.
4. An electric light holder according to claim 1 wherein said ring
retaining means is a screw thread extending around the outer
surface of said socket, said screw thread being discontinuous at
said grooves.
5. An electric light holder according to claim 1 wherein said base
has a central longitudinal axis, and said wings have forward
surfaces which together define a plane extending at right angles to
said axis.
6. An electric light holder according to claim 1 wherein each wing
has a forward surface and an inner surface, said retaining means of
each wing comprising a formation which slopes rearwardly and
radially inwardly from said forward surface and terminates in a
rearward facing and radially extending wall.
7. An electric light holder according to claim 6 wherein said
detent means of each groove comprises a ridge extending laterally
across each groove adjacent the rear end of said groove, said ridge
having a radially oriented forward surface and an outer surface
which slopes rearwardly and radially inwardly therefrom.
8. The electric light holder according to claim 1 wherein said
wings are generally triangular in shape as viewed from the side,
each having a forward surface, a radially inner surface and an
outer surface which slopes forwardly and radially outwardly from
said base to the outer edge of said forward surface, said outer
surface defining at the outer edge of each wing a substantially
flat radially outwardly directed surface on which a reflector may
be hung.
9. An electric light holder according to claim 1 wherein said base
has a central longitudinal axis, and said wings have forward
surfaces which together define a plane extending at right angles to
said axis, said holder further including a reflector, said
reflector having a rear flat surface having an opening therein,
said opening being dimensioned to fit over said socket so that said
rear flat surface may be pressed against the forward surfaces of
said wings and held in place thereon by said retainer ring.
10. An electric light holder according to claim 1 wherein said
socket includes a substantially U-shaped retainer spring to retain
an electric bulb therein, said retainer spring having a pair of
legs and tabs extending outwardly from said legs, said grooves each
having a bottom wall having an opening therein to accommodate and
retain a said tab.
11. An electric light holder according to claim 1 wherein said
socket includes a main receptacle to accommodate the bottom of said
electric bulb, a pair of pin receptacles one at each side of said
main receptacle, said grooves being two in number and being spaced
180 degrees apart around said outer surface of said socket, each
pin receptacle being spaced 90 degrees around said socket from each
groove.
12. An electric light holder according to claim 1 wherein said base
is of molded plastic and is substantially cylindrical in form,
having an interior wall, and wherein said socket is of molded
plastic and includes a plurality of plastic guide members
projecting rearwardly therefrom, said guide members having outer
surfaces and being dimensioned to fit within said base with the
outer surfaces of said guide members pressed against the inner wall
of said base, to align said socket with said base.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an electric light holder having improved
means for retaining a socket and a reflector.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Electric light holders are used to retain and energize a wide
variety of electric light bulbs, including for example miniature
fluorescent tubes. It is commonly necessary to mount a reflector on
the holder, to reflect the light from the light bulb in a desired
direction. In the past, the physical structure required to mount
the reflector has been relatively cumbersome, expensive and awkward
to use.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION
Therefore it is an object of the present invention to provide an
electrical light holder which includes improved means for retaining
both a socket and a reflector in a simple manner. Accordingly in
one of its aspects the invention provides an electrical light
holder comprising:
(a) a base having a forward end,
(b) a pair of wings projecting laterally outwardly in substantially
opposed directions from said forward end,
(c) a socket having a forward end for receiving an electric bulb
and having a rear end,
(d) said socket having an outer surface and a pair of grooves in
said outer surface, said grooves being spaced apart from each other
around said outer surface and each having a predetermined
width,
(e) detent means on each groove,
(f) said wings each being of thickness less than the width of said
grooves, said wings having inner ends defining therebetween a space
for the rear end of said socket to be placed between said inner
ends with said inner ends located one in each groove,
(g) said inner ends of said wings each including retaining means
cooperating with said detent means of said grooves to releasably
secure said socket to said base, said wings being of a flexible
material so that they can be flexed to release said retaining means
of said wings from said detent means of said grooves,
(h) said outer surface of said socket having ring retaining means
thereon,
(i) and a retainer ring adapted to be mounted on said ring
retaining means to secure a reflector over said socket between said
retainer ring and said wings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear from
the following description, taken together with the accompanying
drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective exploded view of an electric light holder,
with a light bulb and reflector, according to the invention;
FIG. 2 is a view, partly in section taken along lines 2--2 of FIG.
1 but with the holder, reflector and bulb assembled;
FIG. 3 is a side view of a socket of the FIG. 1 device;
FIG. 4 is a perspective rear view of the socket shown in FIG.
3;
FIG. 5 is perspective view of a retainer spring from the socket of
FIGS. 3 and 4;
FIG. 6 is a side view, partly in section, showing the holder of
FIG. 1 with a different reflector mounted thereon;
FIG. 7 is a perspective exploded view showing a modification of the
holder of FIG. 1; and
FIG. 8 is a side view, partly in section, showing the arrangement
of FIG. 7 in assembled condition.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Reference is first made to FIG. 1, which shows an electric light
holder 10, together with a miniature fluorescent bulb 12 and a
reflector 14. The holder 10 includes a socket 16 to receive the
bulb 12, a cylindrical base 18 which secures the socket 16 in a
manner to be described, and an end piece 20 having a tip 22 which
can be screwed into a conventional incandescent bulb socket (not
shown). The holder also includes a reflector retaining ring 23.
The bulb 12 is conventional and includes glass fluorescent tubes 24
and a molded plastic base 26 having a metal cap 28 to secure the
tubes 24. The plastic base 26 includes a plastic rectangular rear
plug portion 30 having a pair of projecting wedges 32 (of which
only one is shown) integral therewith, and a pair of metal pins 34
to connect the bulb electrically to the socket 16.
The interior of the socket 16 is also conventional and therefore
will be described only briefly. As shown in FIG. 2, the interior of
the socket 16 includes a rectangular opening 36 to receive the
plastic plug portion 30, a generally U-shaped metal retaining
spring 38 (see also FIG. 5) having inwardly projecting V-shaped
ends 40 to grip the wedges 32 and removably hold the bulb 12 in
position, and a pair of U-shaped copper connectors 42 to grip the
pins 34 and make electrical connections to the bulb. The retaining
spring 38 is held in the opening 36 by metal tabs 44 which are
struck out from the legs of the retaining spring 38 as best shown
in FIG. 5. The tabs 44 extend through openings 46 in the wall of
the socket 16, as will be described.
The socket 16 is of one-piece molded plastic construction, except
of course for the retaining spring 38 and the copper connectors 42.
The connectors 42 are, together with their connecting wires 48,
press fitted into rectangular openings 50 (see FIG. 4) at the rear
end of the socket 16.
The base 18 is a cylindrical molded plastic piece having an
interior wall 52 defining an interior opening 54. Located on the
interior wall 52 are two opposed axially extending tubular channels
56. The tubular channels 56 have interior openings 58 to receive
screws 60 as shown in FIG. 1.
The interior opening 54 of base 18 serves to house a conventional
ballast 62 (or if desired an electronic ballast), from which the
wires 48 extend to the socket 16. Further wires 64 extend from the
ballast 62 into the end piece 20.
The end piece 20 includes a disk-shaped member 66 having openings
68 therein to accommodate the screws 60 which secure the end piece
20 to the base 18. The tip 22 of the end piece 20 is in the form of
a conventional incandescent bulb base having a cylindrical metal
thread 70 and a metal tip 72 so that it can be screwed into a
conventional incandescent bulb socket.
The base 18 includes a novel pair of plastic wings 74 molded
integrally with the base. The wings 74 are located on diametrically
opposed sides of the forward end of the base 18 and each wing
extends forwardly and radially outwardly. Each wing 74 is generally
triangular in form and includes a flat front surface 76, the two
front surfaces 76 together defining a plane (and a line) which
extends through the axis of the base 18 and at right angles to such
axis. The front surfaces 76 therefore serve to form a stop for the
rear surface of the reflector 14, as will be described.
The radially inner surface of each wing 74 includes a generally
triangular formation 78 which slopes radially inwardly and
rearwardly, terminating in a rearward facing and radially extending
wall 80. The wall 80 is spaced axially from the forward end wall 82
of the base 18 by a distance d1. The triangular formations 78
thereby constitute retaining means to grip and secure the socket
16, as will be described. The plastic material of the base 18 and
wings 74 is sufficiently resilient to allow each wing 74 to rotate
slightly in the direction indicated by arrow 82 when sufficient
force is applied to the wings. The triangular formations 78 are
made thicker (as best shown in FIG. 1) than the remainder of the
wings, for increased strength.
The socket 16 includes an exterior threaded plastic wall 84 onto
which the reflector retaining ring 23 can be screwed as will be
described. However the exterior wall of the socket is interrupted
by two relatively deep opposed grooves 86, one in each side
thereof. Each groove 86 is dimensioned to receive (with some
circumferential tolerance) the triangular formation 78 of a wing
74.
In order that the wings 74 will snap into the grooves 86 and retain
the socket 16 to the base, each groove 86 includes a transverse
ridge 88 (FIGS. 3, 4) therein. Each ridge 88 includes a forward
radially extending surface 90, and an outer surface 92 which slopes
rearwardly and radially inwardly. The surface 90 of each ridge is
spaced forwardly of the rear wall 93 of the socket by the same
distance d1 previously mentioned.
In addition, the openings 46 which retain the tabs 44 of the
retainer spring 38 are located in the bottom walls 94 of the
grooves 56, forwardly of the ridges 88. The thickness of the walls
94 at the openings 46 is sufficient that the tabs 44 do not project
radially outwardly therefrom. The openings 50 (see FIG. 4) for the
connectors 42 are defined by U-shaped wall formations 96 extending
outwardly from a central rectangular plastic formation 98 which
defines the rectangular opening 36 in the socket. The formations 96
are spaced 90 degrees around the socket from each groove 86, so
that the socket 16 may be of minimum exterior diameter without the
grooves interfering with the connectors 42.
In assembly, the ballast 62 is glued into the base 18. The wires 48
from the ballast 62, together with the copper connectors 42, are
pressed into the openings 50 in the bottom of the socket 16. The
socket is then oriented so that the grooves 86 are aligned with the
wings 74, and the socket is then pressed onto the base 18. Four
circumferentially spaced plastic tabs or guide members 100 molded
on the interior wall of the socket 16 and extending rearwardly from
the rear wall 93 of the socket ensure that the socket 16 is fully
aligned with the base 18.
As the socket 16 is pressed onto the base 18, the wings 74 enter
the grooves 86 and are forced apart, until the triangular
formations 78 of the wings snap over the ridges 88 of the socket
(as shown in FIG. 2). This firmly holds the socket in position,
with its rear wall 93 pressed tightly against the base 18. While
the socket 16 can be removed by hand, without the need for any
tools, this can only be done by pressing rearwardly on the flat
forward surface 76 of either or both of the wings 74, to rotate
them in the direction of arrow 82 (to move the triangular
formations 78 outwardly clear of the ridges 88). Considerable force
is needed for this operation, as required by most electrical codes,
since the socket 16 should not become disassembled in normal use
nor should small children be able to disassemble it.
The reflector 14 can be fitted simply by sliding it over the socket
16. The reflector 14 has a flat annular rear surface 102 having an
opening 104 therein. The reflector rear surface 102 is located in a
plane at right angles to the axis of the base 18. The flat rear
surface 102 of the reflector therefore rests solidly against the
flat forward surfaces 76 of the wings 74. The reflector 14 is then
held in place by the reflector retaining ring 23 (also made of
plastic), which has an interior thread 106 mating with the exterior
thread of the socket 16.
Usually the bulb 12 is inserted or removed while the reflector 14
is in place, simply by inserting the user's hand into the opening
of the reflector to grip the bulb. However if desired, the
reflector 14 can be removed before bulb replacement, simply by
unscrewing the retaining ring 23 and then removing the
reflector.
In some cases it may be desired to permit air to circulate between
the base of the reflector and the socket 16, e.g. for cooling
purposes. This can be arranged as shown in FIG. 6, which shows a
modified reflector 14a having a flat rear surface 102 as before,
but with a much larger opening 106a therein. It will be seen that
the outer tips 108 of the wings 74 each have a cut-out 110 therein,
defining a short rear radially outwardlyextending surface 112 at
the tip of each wing. The reflector 14a may be hung on the surfaces
112, and air may then circulate (as shown by arrows 114) through
the annular space between the reflector 14a and socket 16. This
arrangement is of course used only when the light holder 10 is in a
vertical position with the reflector 14a hanging downwardly.
Reference is next made to FIGS. 7 and 8, which show an arrangement
virtually identical with that of FIGS. 1 to 5 and in which primed
reference numerals indicate corresponding parts. The major
difference between the FIG. 7 and 8 arrangement and that described
previously is that in the FIGS. 7 and 8 arrangement, the base 18'
includes an extension 116 which serves to lengthen the base. The
extension 116 is a molded cylindrical plastic piece, of the same
diameter as base 18', and with two pairs of internal recessed screw
channels 118, 120. Screw channels 118 are diametrically opposed and
serve to receive screws 60' from the end piece 20'. Screw channels
120 are diametrically opposed, but are totated 90 degrees from
channels 118 and serve to receive screws 122 to secure the
extension 116 to base 18'.
In assembly, screws 122 are inserted into channels 120 to secure
extension 116 to base 18'. Then the screws 60' are used to secure
end piece 20' to extension 116.
In the FIG. 7 and 8 version the bulb 12' is conventional but is of
slightly different form from that shown in FIG. 1. In addition the
reflector 14' is shown as being narrower in width. It will be
appreciated that the arrangement shown can accommodate a large
range of reflectors of varying widths, so long as the rear end of
the reflector used will fit over the socket 16 and have a flat end
surface which rests against the forward surfaces of wings 74.
While two wings 74 have been shown, with two corresponding grooves
86, if desired three wings and three grooves can be used, spaced
apart by 120 degrees instead of 180 degrees. However the use of two
wings is preferred, both for compactness, reduced cost, and ease of
assembly and disassembly.
It will be seen that the wings 74 perform the dual functions of
both retaining the socket 16 to the base 18, and also helping to
mount the reflector.
All of the plastic molded parts described are normally of fire
resistant plastic.
* * * * *